


Reconstruction

by taichara



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 03:37:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5569408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not even Heero could have made it away from the Libra Incident unscathed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reconstruction

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: _any, any, recovering from surgery_

Pain filtered in first, a combination of dull diffused throbbing and more localized agonies that cut like a knife of frozen fire. The worst of those concentrated at the base of his skull, a knot of radiating misery that --

Heero snapped into awareness. 

That was _not_ a spot ...

Eyes still closed, he made a mental survey of his situation. Mangled again, obviously; after the stunt with Libra he'd expected to be dead, so this was -- arguably -- an improvement. Restrained, but lightly; the straps were oddly loose, seemed to be designed that way. Multiple intravenous (and other, less pleasant) lines attached in all the expected places. No mask.

Alright, then.

Gingerly, every cell protesting, he eeled one arm free of the stupidly loose restraint and slowly, fumbling, inched shaky fingers under his neck and up towards the offending part of his scalp --

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

His first instinct was to lash out, but his battered body refused to cooperate and Heero was forced to no more squint against the light's harsh glare, eyes bloodshot and bleary, as a firm but gentle grip settled around his wrist and pushed his hand down to the bedclothes. Then waking thoughts caught up with him, and he recognized the speaker.

"... Sally."

"Good to see you still recognize me. We weren't sure that was going to happen."

Sally's smile, as she leaned over his bed, was relieved and chiding at the same time. So nothing new there, came the flippant thought, but Heero kept it to himself. But ...

"... what .. do you mean."

A sigh; snaking a chair closer to the bed, she spun it backwards-on and folded herself onto it with the air of someone who needed to vent, arms across the back and chin on arms. She looked tired, he noted, dead tired.

"You mean, aside from the cooking and battery you inflicted on yourself saving the world? Which you did, might I point out right away. The Earth owes you.

"No one normal would have -- _should_ have -- survived that, Heero. But you know, and I know, that 'normal' is not a word to describe your physical makeup, now is it?"

She meant the augumentations. Damned things had saved his life more than once, even when he'd hoped against it; it was about time they did it when he'd wanted it. He forced a bit of a smirk onto his battered face.

"not ... in the slightest."

"Oh good, your sarcasm isn't broken either."

"... wasn't sarcasm."

"I know, I know. Cut me some slack, I'm on my sixth pot of coffee and I don't think the seventh is going to take.

"The point I'm driving at is that even _with_ your augmentations, you little cyborg you, this was close. Really close. And the worst of it was that --"

\-- and she gestured at his head --

"-- and your connection with Zero. Which if you don't have _some_ sort of lingering after-effect concerning after all this, I'm going to be very, very surprised. 

"Long story short, your jack was scorched dead. We had to fish out the remnants and replace it, and I mean the entire thing, from neural interface to access port. So if you don't mind, Heero, don't scratch at your head for a while."

Well. That was certainly something to think about while he was trapped flat on his back for who knew how long. And, speaking of trapped ... He tugged feebly with the arm still looped in the restraints, then cocked a questioning stare at Sally, who laughed ruefully.

"That's not to keep you here, that was to keep the medical team from being slugged. Hands that can bend steel bars hit soft humans _hard_ when you aren't aware and in control of yourself -- and that's a story for later, so don't ask, I see that look on your face -- but since that looks like it'll be less of a concern now, let me take care of those ..."

\-- which she promptly did, with great efficiency. Heero didn't bother to hide the small sigh of relief; there had been something crawling at the back of his mind that he hadn't liked in the slightest, but with the freedom to move (however feebly) it was banished. Good.

"... how long was i ...?"

Sally cocked her head, counting, and glanced at the clipboard dangling from the table.

"We're looking at just shy of two weeks. You're still setting recovery records, don't worry."

"ha. and where ... is this, anyway?"

"HX-7638, a manufactory colony at L4. I figured you weren't in any rush to get down to Earth and find yourself at the centre of attention, so a few strings were pulled here and there -- L4's known in general for its medical technology, after all."

That was an understatement. He squinted at her, suspicious, but Sally waved it off with a laugh.

"No, Quatre's not involved. Not directly, at least. And the current standing order is that you aren't going to be bothered with sudden surprise guests and other nosy bodies unless and until you give some indication you want them."

"and you ...?"

Her laughter deepened, taking on a sly sort of tone.

"Now, now! I'm here because who else is familiar with your _unique_ medical history and implant array at this point? We _did_ want to piece you back together again properly."

Point to Sally; that was the best retort, and no lie. Heero rasped out a few noises that approximated laughter, prompting Sally to glance quickly at the bank of monitors and then swoop in to offer him water, raising the head-end of the bed. And then to do her best not to chuckle as he fought and fumbled with the lidded cup.

"... The fine details of the patch job still need a few bugs worked out, mind you.

"But you know how that works --"

Cup held shakily in both hands, Heero quirked a wry little smile.

"... yeah. and no ... Deathscythe to steal parts from.

"Maxwell's ... going to owe me."

Laughing again, Sally retrieved the cup.

"Oh, you're going to be just _fine_."


End file.
